Outside my Window…it is not too bright yet.

I am thinking…about whether to go to a baby shower tonight and what to get. I usually like to attend as a ministry to the mom. This time the mom-to-be already has clothes and such from a sister-in-law and others and only needs things like diapers and wipes. That’s a necessity…but not much fun to give. 🙂 But it’s all about what she needs, right? I am thinking about a gift card for whatever things she might discover she needs that she doesn’t have yet, or for the continuing need for diapers and wipes.

I am thankful for…Jason’s coming home from CA in two weeks!

From the kitchen…nothing yet. 🙂

I am creating… a Paula Vaughn cross stitch project, working on it evenings during the week.

I am going… to visit my mother-in-law today.

I am wearing…my nightgown and robe. I woke up a little earlier than the kids and decided to take advantage of the quietness instead of hitting the shower right off the bat as usual.

I am reading…To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and just started It Happens Every Spring by Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman.

I am hoping…the kinks in my back get worked out in the shower.

I am hearing…a few birds, my computer making little noises, an airplane and a train whistle.

Around the house…I need to do some extra cleaning in the kitchen this week.

One of my favorite things…my family.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…I need to make appointments for Jesse with the eye doctor and orthodontist.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

This is poor Suzie, getting a bath. You can tell how she feels about it. 🙂 Just love her expression. This picture is from a few years ago, and I have shared it before, but I just watched Jim give her a bath Saturday afternoon, so I was reminded of it. She’s very patient, though she hates it. The only time she tries to pull away is when he rinses near her face.

The Guidelines for the Daybook are here at The Simple Woman, who created and hosts this weekly meme.

Comments are now closed. The winner of this giveaway is #41, Nikki at Angels of Heart.

Melanie is once again hosting the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival this week where hundreds of bloggers are giving away some really neat things!

My second giveaway this week is the book Changed Into His Image by Dr. Jim Berg along with the corresponding workbook, Taking Time to Change.

I have read this book at least twice, maybe more, and should probably make it a yearly event. Dr. Berg originally wrote it for his daughters as they neared adulthood, and it developed into a handbook of how to live a godly Christian life. Both the Scriptural instruction and clarifying illustrations are tremendously helpful.

You can download the first chapter here.

If you’d like these resources, just leave a comment on this post. I am happy to ship anywhere. If you don’t have a blog, be sure and leave an e-mail address so I can let you know if you win. I will draw a name Saturday morning.

PhotoHunt

Theme: What IS that?| Become a Photo Hunter

This was an interesting one! I drew a complete blank until this morning when this caught my eye:

Any ideas? Parched ground during a drought? A close-up of my dry skin? Dried cookie dough?

Click –>here<– to see what it is.

Updated: I am sorry the link isn’t working!! My settings are for public viewing. I tested it and it worked fine for me, but when I tried it in Internet Explorer it came back “Private.” Grr!!

Anyway, here it is:

This goes along with the theme, too: it’s hard to tell what a finished project will look like while it is in progress, perhaps making onlookers wonder what it is:

But the details and finishing touches bring it into focus.

It reminds me of that saying, “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.” We are all works-in-progress.

Visit TN Chick for more Photo Hunters.

Pensieve is hosting a BlogHop — kind of a meet-and-greet event for bloggers. More details are here: the sign-up list is here where you can add your link and peruse others. I just discovered it last night, but I think it’s ok if the party extends through the weekend. 🙂

She suggests we include a brief intro, and perhaps links to our favorite posts and maybe even a few recipes (you can’t have a party without food, right?)

So…Hello, my name is Barbara. 🙂 I usually sign myself as Barbara H. to distinguish myself from other Barbara bloggers. I am a SAHM of three boys, ages 23, 20, and 14, and I have been married to a wonderful man named Jim for 28 years. My blog is about…my stray thoughts. It’s a mixture of the serious and funny, the spiritual and the homey, everyday happenings and heavenly contemplations. Some of my passions are to encourage us to spend more quality time in the Word of God, to draw closer to Him in everyday life, to see Him for Who He is, and to encourage women in whatever walk of life to be their best for Him and to lean on Him for grace and strength.

Some of my favorite posts are listed in my sidebar. I am not a great cook, but some of my favorite recipes are listed here. Chicken Enchilada Bake is a family favorite, as are Pudding Chip Cookies.

Thanks for stopping by — you’re welcome any time!

Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home hosts “Show and Tell Friday” asking “Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there’s a story behind your special something, that’s even better! If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your “Show and Tell” on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Guidelines are here.

Several days ago Mama Bear participated in a mug meme, and I thought that was a great idea for Kelli’s Friday Show and Tell.

This is one my my favorites. I believe Jeremy, my oldest, gave it to me.

This is a Dilbert one I got for my husband.

Here is the other side.

The story behind this is that in his job at the time, people could label their requests for the lab “High Priority” if it was indeed high priority and it needed urgent attention. The problem was everyone began labeling their requests high priority in order to get them processed faster, so there was pressure and impatience from every side. I felt bad afterward in that I didn’t want to foster a bad attitude (not that he had one, but I didn’t want to give him one), but we just take it as a joke.

This is one Jim’s mom gave him…

And one from his job. They used to give out mugs for all kinds of things.

This is one from a set that I think my mom gave the kids.

This is one from a set my mom gave Jeremy. It used to have a bowl with a child’s face on it and a plate with feet — when you put it all together it made a little child. This is the only piece left.

This is one I got for Jason when he went in the dorms. I loved the shades in it — they look yellowish here, but it’s kind of a rich milky cocoa shade.

This is another favorite. This is one side:

And this is the other, personalized with my and my sisters’ names. I don’t remember where I got it. It was in a catalog years ago with a choice of the design on a mug, a t-shirt, or a tote bag. I got the mug, two of them got a t-shirt, and two got a tote bag, I think. I don’t use it much any more — the design seemed to be fading and I wanted to preserve it.

This is a mug Jeremy made for Grandma’s 80th birthday last week. This is one side…

And this is the other.

He got the mug from Hobby Lobby and printed a picture from the computer to fit.

And this is from the Pfatlzgraf Tea Rose set that goes with my dishes.

And this is not a mug but my current work-in-progress for Jim’s mom’s room. She likes yellow.

There is no back-stitching yet, which is what really makes the design stand out. I should have it finished next week!

You can see more Show and Tell entries at Kelli’s. I hope you’ll join in! I enjoy visiting the other ladies who participate. Seeing each other’s special things gives us a little glimpse into each other’s personalities.

• Jesse has a tendency to misread things sometimes, and often the result is hilarious. I wish I had written down some of the examples through the years. The other night in the Scripture reading for the devotional book we’re going through, he read “abdominal idolatries.” It usually takes me just a second to realize something doesn’t sound quite right, then it clicked that it should have been “abominable idolatries.” But actually he’s not too far off there…

• Monday I was walking around feeling an immense measure of relief, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, figuring it was because it was the first day in at least a couple of weeks that there wasn’t something pressing to be done that day (though, of course, there are always things to be done.) Then I realized that most of the summer travels were over. I mentioned earlier that we were having a lot of coming and going this summer, and most of it occurred in June: Jim and Jeremy were in Brazil for about a week, Jason left to spend the summer in California, Jesse went to Six Flags with his youth group and then spent a week at camp, Jim went to ID to bring his mom back. All in one month! But that’s it except for Jim’s regular travels for work and Jason’s return from CA in August. It feels like summer is just now beginning.

• Jim’s mom seems to be doing well adjusting to assisted living. The people there are just wonderful, and she’s appreciating the safety features, like the handrails in various places. She interacts great with the staff and with her tablemates at meals, but she hasn’t ventured out for any activities. I asked the activity director yesterday if it was ok if I came with her to some of those things, and she said it was fine. (There is a lot to this situation that is similar to taking children to school — you want to do whatever you can to help in any way, but you don’t want to embarrass them.) I know if I say, “Do you want to go to the craft activity?” she’ll say no, but if I say, “Let’s go…” she might. We’ll see!

• I don’t know if there is anyone who reads here who doesn’t also read Rocks In My Dryer, but Shannon had a great article the other day on Growing Your Traffic for your blog.

• Bet at Dappled Things linked to a compelling article about short-term church mission trips. I am appalled that people mentioned there did things like paint the same building six times or built structures that fell down after they left. What an awful testimony to the nationals and what extra trouble for the missionaries there. Our church has had part in several great mission trips, and I have known several missionaries who have benefited from having a team come over for a couple of weeks, but there needs to be a lot of preparatory work with lots of questions asked ahead of time. No one should just go over and jump in without coordinating with someone there what needs to be done, what materials should be used (according to the country you’re going to, not according to what would be done here), when would be good timing for the missionary, etc.

• Merriam-Webster has added several new words to its newest dictionary. Some I would have thought would have been included long ago (dirty bomb, dwarf planet, malware); some I had never heard before (edamame, Mondegreen); some I knew the definition of but didn’t know there was a word for the concept (air quotes, infinity pool).

• Miss Sandy at Quill Cottage posted a neat book-making tutorial.

• I don’t normally have music playing while I am on the computer — my mind can only handle so many venues at one time, and usually reading and comprehending is all I can do at one time. But sometimes when the house is a little too quiet, I enjoy listing to Abiding Radio. It’s wonderful — beautiful sacred music, no talking, no commercials.

Have a great day!

This is a weekly Monday meme I have seen on several blogs, and it looks like a nice way to start the week. The Guidelines are at here at The Simple Woman, who created and hosts this meme.

Outside my Window…it is a bright sunny day gearing up to be another scorcher.

I am thinking…about the things I need to do this week.

I am thankful for…my husband’s being a good father.

From the kitchen…I had a fried egg sandwich this morning: we’ll have a chicken and wild rice dish for dinner tonight.

I am creating…a cross stitch piece that I think I will be able to finish this week.

I am going…to lunch with my oldest today.

I am wearing…a blue plaid dress.

I am reading…South Carolina by Yvonne Lehman and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

I am hoping…to get my hair cut soon.

I am hearing…an assortment of birds outside and my son’s video game inside.

Around the house…I need to declutter.

One of my favorite things…is the cookie recipe in the post below.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…the decluttering I mentioned earlier plus an intense cleaning of the stove and hood plus some computer-related work.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you… from Father’s Day.

For Flag Day:

I Am Old Glory

I Am Old Glory: For more than ten score years I have been the banner of hope and freedom for generation after generation of Americans.

Born amid the first flames of America’s fight for freedom, I am the symbol of a country that has grown from a little group of thirteen colonies to a united nation of fifty sovereign states.

Planted firmly on the high pinnacle of American Faith my gently fluttering folds have proved an inspiration to untold millions.

Men have followed me into battle with unwavering courage.

They have looked upon me as a symbol of national unity.

They have prayed that they and their fellow citizens might continue to enjoy the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, which have been granted to every American as the heritage of free men.

So long as men love liberty more than life itself; so long as they treasure the priceless privileges bought with the blood of our forefathers; so long as the principles of truth, justice and charity for all remain deeply rooted in human hearts, I shall continue to be the enduring banner of the United States of America.

Originally written by Master Sergeant Percy Webb, USMC.

I saw this at Joyful Days, and wow, does it ever hit home! Hilarious but apt.

Miss Sandy of Quill Cottage is hosting an “I Remember Laura” blogathon on Mondays through the month of June in memory of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author if the “Little House” series of books. There will also be an art swap going on each week in connection with the theme: Click on the picture for more information.

Also throughout the month (I believe on Wednesdays) she will be sharing parts of an interview with Laura Ingalls Gunn of Decor to Adore, a descendant of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Part I of that very interesting interview is here.

This week we will be sharing button collections, button identification and care, as well as button stories. Did you have a favorite dress with special buttons? Did you play in your grandmothers button box? There are many descriptions of the buttons used on clothing in the Little House books, from the plain and serviceable ones for the work shirts Laura made button holes for, the bright and beautiful like the ones that looked like berries on Ma’s dress that she wore to the sugaring off party, to the fabric covered ones for Laura’s best brown dress. Tell us about your button tales!

I don’t remember for sure if my grandmother had a button box: she may have. Somewhere and somehow I developed a love for beauitful and unique buttons, and I seem to have a vague memory of sifting through a collection of them. Though I haven’t sewn clothes in a while, one of my favorite parts of the planning process was shopping for buttons.

Long time readers will probably be getting tired of this picture, but this is my all-time favorite craft I have ever done with buttons, inspired by this one and this one.

I love the vintage look, even though the buttons aren’t vintage: Michael’s sells packets of vintage-looking buttons as well as other kinds. To make it, I googled “heart shape” to find a pattern, cut the pattern out of a lightweight cardboard (which I think was white: if it hadn’t been, I would have painted it white). Then I glued the flat and plain buttons on the base and added the more decorative ones on top. I didn’t make the plaque below it: I just wanted to show the area where the wreath hung. But it is an idea that could be used to showcase special buttons.

Here is another little button craft: a Christmas ornament, made the same way.

Here are some soft trees for which I used buttons, inspired by this one and this one (pattern is at this one as well):

This was a tray I used as a decoration around Valentine’s Day which includes many heart-shaped buttons.

Here are parts of my button collection.

Some in that one are more like charms or jewelry pieces, but they work well in crafting.

In addition, a while back I had a post about various button crafts here: I would add to that this button board I just recently saw here. There is also a Flickr group of Button Wreaths and Button Wreaths, Trees, Balls and Flowers as well as Soft Trees. They are all feasts for the eyes, imagination, and creative juices!